Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that another country is willing to take former president Rodrigo Duterte following the defense request for interim release.
Speaking in Tokyo, Japan, on September 20, Duterte said she sought help from contacts abroad, citing the lack of people she could rely on in the Philippines. “Because of your prayers, good news is happening. A country said, ‘Okay, you can bring him here.’ And I can tell you, it’s not Japan. That’s all I can say,” she remarked.
On September 13, an ICC prosecutor cited the vice president’s controversial remarks—such as her suggestions of “kidnapping” or “jailbreak” regarding her father’s case—as reasons to deny Duterte’s renewed request for interim release. Three days later, Duterte’s legal team submitted a new “Defense Notification” to the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber, proposing further conditions.
Her lawyer Nicolas Kaufman claimed that Duterte cannot recall events, places, timings, or even family members.
In response, the ICC postponed its September 23 hearing, citing the camp’s claim that the former president is “not fit to stand trial.”
The vice president insisted her father is not a flight risk and would remain in Davao. “In fact, they should give President Duterte to me. This way, I can ensure he attends and cooperates with the case because it is difficult to engage him while he is in jail,” she said.
Duterte added that her father has always said he wants to return to Davao and die in the Philippines. “So, we know where to find him. He won’t go abroad. He will go to Davao, and he will be buried in Davao,” she stressed.
On September 18, Duterte confirmed her travel to Tokyo and Nagoya despite looming mass protests in Luneta and EDSA. She said she could not ignore the gathering, describing it as both a call to end corruption and to support her father’s release from the ICC.
